Charnel House of the Blooded

This ancient charnel house belinged originally to the Sunerians and the Babylonians. Used to store & prepare the dead for burial, it was used for nefarious purposes for a number of years before its destruction. Still lying at the edge of old Babylon, pointing north to Baghdad. Buried by the authorities for a number of centuries it has recently came to light that some one, or thing, has unearthed an entrance and started to use the charnel house again.

Purpose / Function

Originally designed to house the recently dead for burial, the charnel house also acted as a burial chamber for those who wouldn't or couldn't be buried in sacred ground. There the dead lay until they could be disposed off correctly. It served the city of Babylon primarily though any of the surrounding land could make use of it. In rare instances, the bodies of those that needed to be transported elsewhere would be interred here.
The priests of the dead would use it to prepare the bodies by wash & clothing the remains, giving blessings to those who were faithful to the local religions & rulers. Those who weren't were stripped and given a quick burial outside wrapped in basic linen. Those rmeains were treated with respect and anything unusual were noted and passed on to the necessary authorities.

Alterations

Unmodified since its creation except to cover it over with the sands of time, it hasn't had any other alterations until recently re-opened.

Architecture

The buidling itself is made of sandstone blocks with the roof held up with sandstone coloums. Carved decorations adorn the walls usually of gods and men together in the afterlife. Writings in cunieform adorn parts describing the bountious gifts of the heavens.
Slabs are laid out roughly 7 feet long and 3.5 feet wide, and the floor has heavy sandstome tiles. Around the walls there are places for torches that show the burning of such sources of light. The remains of incense burners are found scattered around, and the entrance of two openings in the roof are present. These were used to move both the living and the dead between the internal & external, using a puley system.

Defenses

None.

History

Built in 3100 B.C. the Charnel House was built to deal with any dead that the city had to deal with. There it was in use for centuries.
Around 1300 B.C. it was partially filled in and coverd over with a layer of sand allowing the environment to further cover it. The exact reason is unknown, though local myths talk about Djinn, Ghúls and Vampires taking an interest in it and causing the dead to walk again. Like any place linked to death, there was always the potential to attract these creatures.
One notable myth speaks of an ancient group of vampires that were guided to it by a Djinn. There they weaseled their way into it prentending to be clerics to gods of death of durrounding regions here to help the people of Babylon. Bedazzling the established clerics & the rulers, they started t ospread their wicked ways with the help of the Djinn. Bringing forth more undead, they were eventually seen for what they were and driven off to the west. The Djinn is rumoured to have been trapped in the charnel house as punishment and his skull is rumoured to still be there.
Wheyher this is true or not it may explain that something foul happened in the charnel house, causong the uathorities to close it down and seal it off. 
There it has lain until recently when local tribesmen and soldiers have reported seeing it re-opened and ropes attached to pegs on the surface. There are lights at night and strange unearthly sounds that scare many away. Most people avoid it, believing that the Djinn has returned or at least some of his kin. A few also point to the fact that a wasting sickness has hit many communities nearby and in some cases the dead seem to have reappeared at least briefly. DIsappearances have also been reported to the militia and usially within 5 miles of the charnel house.
Any scrying and the like report that the night is worse for this and the scryers regularly see "things" that bay for the blood of the living and using it for infernal rites going against the Word of Allah.
Udhiya is a word that regularly appears in and around it, and to outsiders they are told that this means "Blooded". The plave is now Haram to all but rhose willing to sort out the evil spirits of the desert that infest it. So far none has returned and those remains that have been found Udhiya, at least externally, though internally drained of every last drop of blood....

"I have seen many things on my travels but that one, no. The local tribal groups of the Persians that live there in and around ancient Babylon kept us away. Indeed, they have given it a wide birth roughly 5 miles away from it.
Why I cannot say for certain, but I understand. It's a desolate little stretch of land, and the odd noises that reach a crescendo at night cannot be underestimated. It drives animals insane, and the men under my command started to have their nerves shredded by it.
After three days & nights we had to move away. It happened that fast. And the animals... First one of the camels showed symptoms of it's blood being off-kilter on the first night, then on the second it was pretty much done for. Had to order the poor creature killed. Was a rather sturdy dependable animal but it went that quickly.
Eventually we moved on along the Silk Road and everyone improved at least somewhat physically. Since that time though, we feel as if we are being watched, maybe even stalked by something at night. I'm sure we have heard slight unearthly sounds on the breeze at night again, in the distance, similar to what we encountered over those three nights.
I pray t oGod Almighty it is not the same thing as before, but the sounds have been getting louder again..."
Last entry of Lucius Maximus, Silk Road trader of the Papal States 789 A.D.

RUINED STRUCTURE
1820 B.C.

Founding Date

3100 B.C.

Type

Ruins

Parent Location

Baghdad & Babylon